In the run-up to EuMo Expo 2024, we’re meeting various leading and influential figures hard at work improving public transport and sustainable mobility on a daily basis.
This time we talk to Françoise Rossignol, President of France’s Club of Cycle- and Pedestrian-Friendly Towns and Territories (Club des villes et territoires et cyclables et marchables, CVTCM). 👇
Françoise Rossignol
President of France’s Club of Cycle- and Pedestrian-Friendly Towns and Territories
European Mobility Expo will be opening its doors in Strasbourg in October. What are your expectations for this new edition?
France’s Club of Cycle- and Pedestrian-Friendly Towns and Territories (CVTCM) is delighted that Strasbourg is hosting the forthcoming edition of the European Mobility Exhibition: it’s an opportunity for visitors to discover one of our founding localities. Strasbourg has been encouraging cycling for many years and adopted a Pedestrian Plan in 2021. People will be able to find out more at EuMo Expo 2024 through contributions from local councillors and officers as well as during two visits on foot and by bike (full details in the Active Mobility space programme, registration required for visits).
We’ll be making the most of EuMo Expo 2024 to unveil our most recent publication: a guide to the implementation of bike services. Supported by French environment and energy management agency ADEME and sustainable development consultants Inddigo, it will serve as the guiding thread for the talks held in our Active Mobility space.
The biennial mobility get-together is also a good place for us to remind visitors of the importance of Bike and Pedestrian Plans and the need to secure the multiyear commitments made at the highest levels of national government. In that respect I must say I’m very concerned about further contributions to France’s Active Mobility Fund being put on hold. Local authorities welcomed the presentation of the Bike Plan and will not be slow in expressing their discontent if they don’t receive guarantees for the continuation of this multiyear plan in the near future. We’re losing momentum in the drive to establish a cycle-friendly network totalling 100,000km by 2030, and there’s no time to lose!
The European dimension of this event is obvious, too: at a time of new parliaments, it’s vital that we should keep up the momentum built up in recent months, in particular with the adoption of the European Declaration on Cycling last April.
EuMo Expo is also a place where CVTCM can bring together its members (local authorities) and meet newcomers, in particular those from the surrounding Grand Est region: the event is an opportunity on their doorstep to find out more about cycling and walking policies. We also hope to meet members of Vélo & Territoires; we’ll be working closely with them in the very near future with a view to a closer relationship between our two associations, marking a further practical step towards the encouraging prospect of having a single network for local authorities committed to the promotion of walking and cycling.
On Wednesday 2 October CVTCM is organising a talk entitled ‘Calmer cities: walking and cycling show the way’ in partnership with UTP and GART. What are the major points you’ll be covering?
As they continue down the path to becoming carbon-neutral, local authorities are helping to manage change by offering alternatives to travelling by car, first and foremost in the form of active mobility and public transport.
In addition to being alternative modes of travel, walking and cycling also make for calmer cities, facilitate fairer redistribution of public space, improve air quality and reduce noise pollution, all of which contributes to public health and quality of life and in doing so, helps shape more welcoming and inclusive cities.
These changes are vital if we are to achieve ecological transition. To hasten them, we’ve joined forces with the nonprofit Rue de l’avenir to launch a national campaign entitled Ville apaisée, quartiers à vivre (‘calmer cities, liveable neighbourhoods’) that has received the support of France Nature environnement (FNE), France’s National Federation of Transport User Associations (FNAUT), and the French Federation of Bike Users (FUB). Our Manifesto lists ten measures to bring about the shift our towns and villages need. Some sixty local authorities and one hundred non-profit groups have already signed up to this Manifesto; we hope that many more will join them.
During the talk ‘Calmer cities: walking and cycling show the way’, we’ll be hearing from several French cities and broadening our horizons to include Europe as a whole with a contribution from the City of Vienna, EuMo Expo 2024’s guest of honour.
There’ll be over a score of exhibitors in the Active Mobility space alone. What should visitors expect?
Visitors to our space will be invited to meet enthusiastic professionals committed to promoting more sustainable and environmentally-friendly modes of transport. These exhibitors will be presenting a range of innovative solutions to encourage active mobility.
Visitors can explore stands featuring latest-generation e-bikes, safety gear for cyclists, route-sharing apps, metering solutions and companies that adapt infrastructure to enhance safety. They’ll also be able to meet those involved bike parking and rental, along with associations promoting active mobility. Exhibitors will be staging live demonstrations and free tests as well as providing personalised advice on how to adopt these new everyday mobility practices in localities everywhere. What’s more, visitors will be able to try their luck at winning a bike donated as a prize by Arcade, one of the companies present in the Active Mobility space.
In addition to these products and services, they’ll also be able to attend talks and workshops featuring local councillors and industry experts, who’ll be sharing their insights into the benefits of active mobility for health, the environment, and quality of life in general.
The exhibition is the place to meet committed councillors and members of the business ecosystem who are part of the growth in active mobility, chat with other visitors who share similar concerns and draw inspiration from local and EU initiatives.
Whether you’re a committed stakeholder in active mobility or simply keen to find out more, you’ll find all the answers to your questions and ideas for transforming your community!
